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This article was originally published between 1999 and 2001. Reproduced here as recovered from the archived Boglin Marsh website. It may contain language and attitudes of its time.
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The Novice's Social Circle - Part 12
NOVICES SOCIAL CIRCLE.(part twelve)
So lads,you are back at the old sages loft for a few more words of wisdom and feeling pleased as punch with yourselves afte rreaching the first ridge on Everest. Those of you that had neither the intellect nor stamina to get beyond base camp can clear off now, because you are wasting my time. I said that there was no room for passengers and that is exactly what I meant.
Now here is a funny thing about climbing mountains - one looks up and sees a peak,one then proceeds to climb. Upon reaching this peak, low and behold there is another one above it, so off you go and climb .Blow me down and call me Susan, no sooner done and there appears another to dampen ones spirits.Then it takes courage and fortitude to carry on, the peaks seem never ending but eventually one reaches the summit. The feeling is exhilarating and the sense of achievement overwhelming; that is, until one looks down and realises that without care one has an awful long way to fall!
Now pigeon racing is like that and one false step can bring about a mighty tumble, it calls for skill and planning if one is to remain King of the Mountain. You lads have done well so far, in reaching the first peak but, much of this has been achieved through someone else's skill.The man who supplied your equipment (stock) without which you could not have undertaken the journey. The good mountaineer will respect this equipment and maintain it in first class order. A better mountaineer will make certain practical adjustments of his own, improving the standard with experienced and observed needed modification. The poor mountaineer will treat his equipment with disregard, inevitably falling to his death once that equipment is old and worn! So - inwardly digest that lads because I have seen the rise of many a winning pigeon racer, who fell to his death once his original stock became old and worn. They were unable to reproduce for themselves the equipment that someone else had supplied.
There are many good racers of pigeons with deep pockets, constantly replacing stock.There are very very few who can produce their own year in, year out, with repetitious consistency; these are the true mountaineers, the others are Sunday afternoon fell walkers and only imagine that they can climb mountains! Any lad of mine will be a true mountaineer and years from now he will remember the old man of the mountain with a knowing smile. So listen up and do as you are told because nobody upon God's earth is ever going to tell it to you straighter!
As I said, there is always another peak to climb and 2001 really does begin today. If you have taken my advice the old bird stock is already serviced, with the worn and useless discarded, new ropes for old. The backpack isn't large enough to carry equipment that only has a 'maybe' tag, dead weight drags one down! The selected equipment requires constant attention and must be inspected for possible improvement, which will come in due course. The new stock (young birds) should also be constantly viewed for strength and consistency. Now I fully realise that some of you can't wait to test these against the mountain and that some of you will gain a modicum of success; but at what cost to the future for which you should be preparing?
The team should be divided, one bad race can cost too dearly, where smashes take no account of quality.The finest mountaineer has no control upon avalanche, he disappears into the glacier forever! We are then left with the problem of assessing young bird intellect and often it is said that only the best return. Not so; many a dull minded youngster has won such a day, many a dull minded old bird also and might never win again! The key is consistency and this is what you seek! Should the youngster be up with the pack each week and score then obviously it could have a bright future but, there are other things to take into consideration. Why was the youngster up, was it racing underfed on easy days? Was it racing to the nest whilst others were perching? Was it smaller-larger than its loftmates? Was it earlier bred or better in the moult? Young bird performances may come through any number of slight advantages but it does not necessarily prove quality for later years. Consistency is the key, and any youngster that is consistent as the season progresses through moulting cycle and varied incentive is the bird to respect and keep. Not some one hit wonder, even if it were to be your only winner - be honest and unbiased in your assessment.
Now for the true mountaineers approach - he will be assessing daily depending upon his aspirations. A certain instinct will tell him that some birds are worth reserving once that they have negotiated 150 miles racing. These will have been in the first few to the loft each weekor never far behind. No matter how much temptation presents itself, these strong ropes will not be used for practice, they are saved for the mountain lest they become worn.The lesser quality equipment can be used in practice, climbing a wall is hardly likely to end in disaster!
Right thick head, you haven't understood one word of this, so clear off and don't come back until you learn to pay attention and think! Sure as eggs are eggs, you will fall of the mountain and never climb again or my name isn't Wendy! Right lads, now that he's cleared off we'll get on with young bird training and motivation, it's always good to test my class for staying power. These races are there to be won and no honest man enters purely for enjoyment, if that were so he wouldn't be in a competitive sport. Everybody wants to win and that is a fact! If Idon't want to win, then I don't enter and neither would he but I wouldn't risk my best young birds beyond 150 miles. So how do we get performances out of the others? A very good question, firstly some of the others may produce pleasant surprises, the selected best may not be as good as pre supposed. That is by the way and no consequence when building a team, we do not wish to be flown out and restarting each year. There has to be some kind of yardstick to which we stick initially, afterwards, more chances can be taken and fewer birds stopped from racing. The prize could be ten or -fifty pounds but the future is worth far more.
Some of the ways in which the second team may be motivated have been mentioned above eg.: flying to feed; this method has many pitfalls should the race be over difficult and definitely not recommended beyond eighty miles. Racing to the nest - a standard practice but preferable if the young hen doesn't lay eggs and is persuaded to sit upon dummies. Segregating sexes until the eve of the race; young cocks pairing with old hens, young hens with old cocks. Young hens pairing to the fancier himself and these can be motivated each race.Young cocks that dominate a territory can be fired up by placing them in a pen on the floor whilst others occupy his box or perch. Removal of mates upon the evening preceeding the race,extending their sitting time; in the case of two young birds paired each is motivated, one through absence of mate, the other through absence from nest! The Meatsafe System but don't overdo it. Energymay be conserved by darkening the loft after morning feed on basketting day. Their favourite grain fed only after trapping from training or racing (peanuts, hemp) not at every meal. Youngsters are soon imprinted with this signal and hunger isn't necessary!
You see lads, there are many and varied ways to have birds in different stages of motivation without putting all of ones eggs in one basket!
How important is training? In this neck of the woods it would be impossible to win with young birds consistently without it! Personally I have never had the time available at this part of the season and for that reason abstain from young bird racing. Training for me has to be as and whenever, even if that means extending into late autumn - winter but, training is essential in the majority of cases. Young birds learn very quickly,good, bad or indifferent experiences. They also forget very quickly! Young birds should not need training to get them fit but they do need to be kept alert mentally. This means leaving the basket, then flying directly for home and instantly trapping upon return. The actual distance is immaterial, pigeons do not measure distance, only direction. The quicker they can orientate direction the better and regular training from ten - fifteen miles is sufficient, better still if this is daily. Should pigeons experience a bad toss,release from a lesser point the next few times.This not only restores their confidence, it removes the previous bad line memory.Always allow them to have a home exercise period before training, this then removes any inclination to range the landscape whist returning from the training spin and they will head straight for home. Basket the birds, then allow them to see the feed trough, remind them with a shake of the tin and a whistle, give the same whistle at the release point and off they go out of sight, directly home.
Believe me, anybody could trap them at the home end, strange loft coat, bright red jumper, clown make-up, it won't matter, they will stop for nothing! Some fanciers make too much out of loftcoats and everything in its place, pigeons get used to anything, motorbikes, kids screaming; anything if they are allowed to. More pigeons are spoiled from trapping by faddy protectionism than anything else or my name isn't Peter Pan! My pigeons never see me in the same clothes twice, so they aren't frightened by strangers,they recognise my aura, (perhaps I should bathe more often). Right lads, away you go and enjoy yourselves but remember 2001 starts now and every pigeon will eventually have one race too many. If you send them often enough one day even a champion mountaineer will meet the avalanche. You are preparing for the future so don't take any silly chances in pursuit of young bird prizes this season, you will have plenty of opportunity later and your peers will be seeking your advice! SPINKSY
